iPad 2.0: What We Think We Know

Only last week, the iPad was declared one of the greatest innovations of 2010 by Time magazine. But we're already receiving reports that components for the iPad successor, let's call it 'iPad 2.0', have been selected and approved with production set to accelerate come February, suggesting the next-gen Apple [AAPL] tablet will ship in Q1. I've gathered my thoughts and this is what I think we might know about iPad 2.0, even as we head into an iOS Christmas.

It will be a global traveller

Sure, the iPad can handle 3G and Wi-Fi, two pretty much universal standards, but Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair expects Apple will introduce a "World iPad" based on one of Qualcomm's multimode CDMA-GSM chips.

He informs us Apple's reducing manufacture of 3G model iPads and says the company aims to sell 48 million iPads next year.

It will have camerasWe've heard reports of 5-megapixel CCDs being manufactured by Omnivision for the next-gen iPad. Rest assured, it will have cameras and will run Facetime.

This attempt at predesigning a feature for the follow-up is typical Apple.

It wouldn't really have hurt to include this in v.1.

It will be thinner, it will be lighter

There's two reports circulating suggesting this.

Apple's recent move to license LiquidMetal technology, which combines strong corrosion-resistant metals like titanium with a process that makes the material molten, like plastic.

A report published today explains Apple's carbon fiber design patent, which would suggest a light but very strong carbon fiber frame. Carbon fiber is brittle, though -- so could Apple choose LiquidMetal to create a super-strong, super-light and super-thin frame?

"We...understand the new iPad is thinner than the existing model and is essentially made from one piece of metal with no pins needed...We understand it requires a new type of manufacturing process as a result, similar to the company's unibody approach seen in MacBooks," as reported by Digital Daily.

I'm not sure we need this beefed-up just yet, but given AAPL's continued command of flash memory sales, by dint of it being the world's biggest flash customer, there's no reason not to anticipate a 128GB iPad -- though this would bite at the heels of the recently-introduced MacBook Air.

Ibiden, Tripod Technology and TTM Technologies have been named as the initial PCB suppliers (Digitimes).

I don't agree with Goldman Sachs who believe the new iPad will use mini USB, though upcoming European standardization may demand this.

The display will be higher-res

Apple will say with flourish something along the lines of:

"We love the iPhone 4. It is the most sophisticated smartphone out there. Our customers love the Retina Display. It's just beautiful. Now we've figured out how to make enough of these to put them in the iPad too. Isn't it magical?"